His body covered in tattoos and his past dotted with drug abuse, Denver Nuggets big man Chris "Birdman" Andersen is no stranger to pain. No matter, San Antonio Spurs big man Tim Duncan was happy to re-introduce him.

The mild-mannered, strictly-business Duncan delivered one-two-three strikes to Birdman in less than five seconds during a Sunday night game at the AT&T Center.

With the Spurs trailing with less than two minutes remaining in the first quarter, Duncan turned to face up on Birdman roughly 12 feet from the hoop. After a series of ball fakes, Duncan drew the ball back from left-to-right, clocking Birdman right in the face as he began his dribble drive.

With Birdman briefly stumbling and holding his face, Duncan took advantage of the opportunity, using a gather dribble to ascend through the heart of Denver's defense towards the hoop. By that point, Birdman recovered just in time to get put on a poster, as Duncan finished a one-hand dunk with authority over Andersen's challenge.

Then, for good measure, Duncan's momentum carried him into Birdman, causing Andersen to fall to the ground to further the embarrassment.

Let's review: clocked in the face with the ball, dunked on hard, thrown to the ground. That's a tough five seconds.

Each game is made up of elements that help formulate the outcome. Monday through Friday, we'll bring you the elements from the previous night's games in our own specialized version of the game recaps. It's not everything that happened, but it's an insight into what led to the results you'll see in the box scores. This is the Game Changer.

THE BIG ONE: IS THERE HOPE FOR THE MIAMI HEAT?

Earlier Sunday, I took a look at how the Celtics' 85-82 victory over the Heat had a familiar feel to it, the game playing out as a "same old story" remix of Boston's first two victories against Miami the season.

As much as we all might hope, the Heat aren't going to just fold up shop and cancel the rest of the season because the Celtics continue to stand in their way as a seemingly insurmountable opponent. Instead, Miami will work the spin cycle, focusing on Sunday's positive developments as they head into the All-Star break with the second best record in the East.

Despite their nationally-televised, much-hyped loss on Sunday, there were at least three positive takeaways for the Heat.

First, Chris Bosh got the best of his match-up with Kevin Garnett - both from a scoring and rebounding perspective - a critical component if Miami ever hopes to top Boston. Simply put, each of Miami's Big 3 must play better than their counterpart to overcome Rajon Rondo and the chemistry advantage that Boston possesses because they've played together for so long. Bosh's 24 and 10 to Garnett's 19 and seven earned a respectful backslap from KG as the players left the court. Bosh has rightfully drawn criticism this season for his softness and inability to exert his influence on games this season, but neither of those flaws was an issue tonight, as Bosh stuck a big jumper down the stretch and never flinched from the moment.

Second, the Heat can be proud that they out-rebounded the Celtics while shooting virtually the same percentage from the field. There's a mental hurdle in going against a team with as many big, physical players as Boston, and Miami overcame that nicely, getting big boarding nights from forwards LeBron James (seven rebounds) and Mike Miller (nine rebounds). On the other side, Boston's frontcourt players combined for just five offensive rebounds. Given the makeshift nature of Miami's frontline, these numbers will serve as nice ammunition for the Heat coaching staff if and when a playoff match-up needs to be discussed in the locker room. "Look, guys, you've rebounded with them before, you can do it again." At the very least, we learned on Sunday that the perception of Boston's dominance inside is more pronounced than its actually dominance. (At least as long as Shaquille O'Neal remains out.)

Finally, the Heat can take solace in the fact that Dwyane Wade had a real stinker, scoring just 16 points on 17 shots and committing six turnovers. While Paul Pierce's historically awful shooting night drew most of the headlines, an average night from Wade would have certainly meant a Miami road win. If Wade shows up, things look a lot different. Miami likely would have taken home its ninth straight victory and would be sitting atop the Eastern Conference standings. Over the course of a seven-game series, even against Boston, Wade isn't likely to repeat a performance like that more than once.

Even given all of that, though, you would still much rather be the Celtics waking up on Monday morning rather than the Heat. All the confidence and mental advantages are yours. All the questions and needs for adjustments are Miami's.

GO-GO-GADGET LINES OF THE NIGHT:

Rajon Rondo: 11 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists on five of 10 shooting in 43 minutes in a Boston Celtics home win over the Miami Heat.

Dwight Howard: 31 points, 13 rebounds, three assists, three blocks, 13 of 16 shooting in 39 minutes in an Orlando Magic home win over the Los Angeles Lakers.

LaMarcus Aldridge: 36 points, four rebounds, three assists, two steals, one block on 12 of 17 shooting in 41 minutes in a Portland Trail Blazers road win over the Detroit Pistons.

Steve Nash: 22 points, 18 assists and two rebounds on eight of 17 shooting in 37 minutes in a Phoenix Suns home loss to the Sacramento Kings.

DON'T MISS:

Here's Ken Berger live and direct from Boston, where the Celtics took down the Heat.

SNAPSHOT:

The Boston Celtics needed to turn things up in the second half against the Miami Heat, and point guard Rajon Rondo led the charge, harrassing Heat forward LeBron James all over the court. Incredible snapshot of two All-Stars sizing each other up.

Western Conference Playoff Chase

Don't look now, but the Western Conference standings are getting pretty insane. Just five games separate the New Orleans Hornets, the fifth seed, and the Phoenix Suns, the 10th seed. To make things even more intriguing, the two biggest wildcards - the Denver Nuggets and Utah Jazz - are tied for the sixth seed, with their division rivals, the Portland Trail Blazers just a half-game behind. The Nuggets are still in no-man's-land with Carmelo Anthony, the Jazz are dealing with their first coaching change since the Reagan Administration, and the Blazers are, improbably, on a four-game winning streak and expecting to get center Marcus Camby and guard Brandon Roy back within the next few weeks. In other words, we've officially reached the "everyone checks the standings first thing in the morning" stage of the season, and the All-Star break isn't until next weekend.

The real question: Does this flattening affect anyone's strategy in advance of the trade deadline?

It seems to me like more teams than ever rightly feel like they have legit playoff hopes. If that's true, it's reasonable to expect that the sellers will dry up a bit as the teams in the Western Conference's vast second tier would be more inclined not to make a rotation-changing deal, preferring instead to hold down the fort as is.

Additionally, this group is a clear cut below the West's top four, which could also mean that they won't be inclined to make a bold "win now" type move either. Melo obviously remains the biggest wild card, but, at this point, I'm leaning towards this being a relatively quiet trade season out West. The fringe teams would seem to have more motivation to stick with the status quo rather than going for it or blowing it up.

HIGHLIGHT REEL:

This is just a Blake Griffin dunk every single day, you know how I do it. Here Griffin catches the alley oop lob pass from Baron Davis and throws it down two-handed in transition against the Raptors in Toronto. Jiminy.

WHIMSY:

FINAL THOUGHT:

The Portland Trail Blazers announced on Sunday that power forward LaMarcus Aldridge became the first player in franchise history to score 36 or more points in three consecutive games after he scored 36 to lead the Blazers past the Pistons in Detroit. Given that Clyde Drexler, Bill Walton, Brandon Roy, Rasheed Wallace, Zach Randolph and others all donned the red and black, that's an amazing accomplishment.

The Boston Celtics escaped from the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday night, Kevin Martin put up an absurd shooting performance against the Portland Trail Blazers, Blake Griffin dunked and dunked and dunked, and Birdman's tattoos got spotted up close. Posted by Ben Golliver.

Each game is made up of elements which help formulate the outcome. Monday through Friday, we'll bring you the elements from the night before's games in our own specialized version of the game recaps. It's not everything that happened, but it's an insight into what lead to the results you'll see in the box scores. This is the Game Changer.

THE BIG ONE: CELTICS ESCAPE FROM SPURS

The last few minutes in Boston were beautiful chaos, as the unexpected kept happening in a wild finish between two of the league's premier teams: the Celtics and the San Antonio Spurs. When the dust settled, the Celtics held on for a 105-103 victory, but it wasn't without fireworks.

The Spurs, down nine points late, mounted a furious, and somewhat lucky, comeback thanks to a Manu Ginobili three, a Tony Parker steal-to-layup finish and two Richard Jefferson free throws. Up two with the ball, the Celtics ran the clock, turning the ball over to their late-game savant, Paul Pierce.

Pierce missed the game-icer, but the smallest guy on the court, Celtics guard Nate Robinson, not only came out with the rebound but intelligently shuffled it to Ray Allen, one of the league's premier foul shooters. With less than 10 seconds left on the clock, the Spurs were forced to foul Allen, a career 89.4% free throw shooter, who inexplicably missed both free throws that also would have iced it.

Matt Bonner then secured the defensive rebound for the Spurs, who quickly took timeout to diagram a final, potentially game-winning play. Everyone in the building knew it was going to Manu Ginobili, who had multiple game-winning plays in December, and that included Pierce, who expertly contested a Ginobili jumper at the buzzer, blocking it cleanly without fouling. Rajon Rondo, who finished with an absurd triple-double (see below) then did his best Magic Johnson impersonation, tossing the ball high in the air to burn out the rest of the clock. Ballgame, Celtics.

The result was a little evidence supporting a conclusion made by Celtics center Kendrick Perkins: it will be extremely difficult to beat this group in a seven-game series. Even without Perkins and starting power forward Kevin Garnett, the Celtics managed to make multiple heady, playoff-type plays while in the process of throwing a game away. Robinson's rebound and dish, Pierce's defense and Rondo's clock killing are the kind of time/score plays that come naturally to a tested team, but pretenders always seem to mess up.

WHIMSY:

HIGHLIGHT REEL:

We're getting used to Blake Griffin throwing down, but this one-handed tomahawk alley oop jam after leading a 2-on-1 break with Clippers point guard Baron Davis was pretty filthy. And the fact that the break was started by DeAndre Jordan, who apparently blocked a shot with his elbow, is even better.

FINAL THOUGHT:

Since these posts continue to turn into all Blake Griffin all the time, here's Griffin talking about being selected for the NBA's Slam Dunk contest, as quoted by TheRookieWall.com. “I think I’m just gonna try and get up as high as possible and throw it down as hard as possible. You know, put a little show in there, put a little pizazz and see what we can come out with. Hopefully I’ll have the home court advantage, but I don’t know, we got a lot of good guys in there so I’m definitely going to try to play into that a little bit. I’ve got a few things up my sleeve. I’m not showing them yet.”

Well, folks, it's that time of year again. The day we shake off those paralyzing turkey chemicals and drag ourselves out of bed in the wee hours. The day we maraud from store to store like a pack of ravenous credit-wielding zombies. The day we do the ridiculous in the name of big deals and unparalleled savings. Black Friday hath cometh.

Fortunately, Fantasy owners don't even have to leave their couch to find great bargains … and it's the right time of year for those as well. I've got 10 super-saver steals that could put your team on the track to success in the New Year. Don't let those other fantasy shoppers beat you to the bargains!

Fantasy Shopping Cart: Calderon's Fantasy value is sky high, and Fantasy owners are clearing out long-term roster space to snatch him up. Since Jarrett Jack was traded to New Orleans, Calderon will see the lion's share of minutes up in Toronto. He has been producing at a high level recently, and is averaging 12.3 points and 6.5 assists over his last four games entering Black Friday. He should continue to perform for the Raptors, and for Fantasy owners from here on out.

Real Deal Equivalent: Squinkies Bubble Pack - $11.99 at Babies"R"UsThey're definitely not the most glamorous item on the list, but are widely considered to be one of the hottest grabs of the season. It's kind of like the Furby toy from a few years ago, except they're supposedly very collectable to kids, and will likely be worth holding on to for the long haul.

Fantasy Shopping Cart: Flynn still doesn't have a timetable for his return, but it's getting closer. Minnesota brought in veteran guard Luke Ridnour to push Flynn for the starting job this year, but a hip injury to Flynn deflated any competition. Now, Flynn will have to prove his worth to coach Kurt Rambis. We all know Rambis was limiting Kevin Love's minutes to start the season, so it's unclear how he'll treat Flynn when he does return. But Fantasy owners who are hurting in the guard position should keep an eye on Flynn. He has more of an upside than Ridnour, and can offer you around 13-15 points and 4-5 assists per game. He also shot 35.8 percent from downtown last season, which is a nice gift for Fantasy owners around the holidays.

Real Deal Equivalent: 1/3 Carat Diamond White Gold Bypass Bridal Ring Set - $219 at Wal-MartGets the job done... and looks enough like the high-end alternatives when the time comes to take it out of the box. Plus, it'll be easy to cry poverty when you're dealing with those pesky alimony hearings.

Fantasy Shopping Cart: Murphy has been inactive for five games now, and is sitting behind Kris Humphries and rookie Derrick Favors on the depth chart. Coach Avery Johnson hasn't been able to figure out what to do with Murphy. He missed the preseason and the start of the regular season with a back injury, but is now on the shelf because of his conditioning. The Nets traded for Murphy with the hope that he could be a starter, and now he's not playing or bringing in any Fantasy points. Not what anyone wants from a Round 5 or 6 draft choice (his average in CBSSports.com Fantasy leagues). Still, in leagues where he's available, Murphy would be worth grabbing while you can. If he gets traded by the Nets, he could go back to his 15-10 stat line, and smart Fantasy owners could get him on the cheap if they can afford to keep him reserved until he sees more court time. Keep in mind, Murphy also has a history of late-season success -- Since the 2006-07 NBA season he's averaged 11.7 points and 8.7 rebounds per game before the All-Star break and 14.8 PPG and 9.1 boards post All-Star.

Real Deal Equivalent: Samsung SMX-F40 SD camcorder - $119 at K-Mart Sure, it might not be something you're going to use all the time, but when the battery is fully charged, this baby could come in pretty handy. Just think how useful it could be when one of your buddies falls asleep in the middle of a party. Youtube!

Fantasy Shopping Cart: Okur hasn't played yet this season, and is available in almost half of Fantasy leagues. With the Jazz playing so well to start the year, owners with room on their roster may have good reason to add the veteran big man. As a career 37.8 3-point shooter, Okur is hardly a typical center, which makes him a nice player to own in category-based leagues. Utah's addition of Al Jefferson may scare some owners off, but nabbing Okur now before a timetable is set could pay nice dividends.

Real Deal Equivalent: Yankee Candle Pine & Cinnamon Jar Candles - $17.99 at Kohl'sMaybe you didn't have time to cut down a premiere 7-footer in the draft. Maybe you're just desperate to hide the despicable funk emanating from those 1997 Jordans that can't seem to find their way to the trashcan. Either way, this is a great way to Spruce up your lineup for the winter run... terrible pun, definitely intended.

Fantasy Shopping Cart: Przybilla is set to make his season debut on Black Friday, which gives Fantasy owners a perfect opportunity to check him out. He'll likely be rusty coming off knee surgery, but is a center worth keeping tabs on or adding in deeper formats. He doesn't score many points, but is a good source of rebounds and shoots with high efficiency from the field -- 55.5 percent for his career. Also, take in to account that Portland needs bodies on the frontcourt, which means Przybilla will get plenty of playing time. Remember he should be targeted in deeper Fantasy formats, not standard leagues.

Real Deal Equivalent: Craftsman 179cc 24'' Two-stage Snowblower - $583 at Sears Powerful, but a little one-dimensional. Still, winter can be long and arduous, as can the NBA season. Finding a bargain like this could be the easiest way to clear your path to the playoffs.

Fantasy Shopping Cart: Butler isn't having a very good start to the season, which means now is the time to buy. Some Fantasy owners may want to drop him, but realize he's worth too much to just throw away. That being the case, they may be willing to part with Butler for next to nothing. He hasn't fully adjusted to being in Dallas since coming over from Washington, and the one thing that would help Butler's Fantasy appeal most is being traded. So, owners that like to gamble could make the move for Butler now. Last year, Butler averaged 15.2 points and 5.4 boards with the Mavericks, so the potential is there for Fantasy owners to see a nice return on their investment.

Real Deal Equivalent: 55" Westinghouse 120Hz, 1080p LCD TV - $799.99 at Best BuyStill a great grab if you need to upgrade. Sure, it may not shine as brightly as LED or have the pop of 3D, but, a few years ago, this was a top-of-the-line model.

Fantasy Shopping Cart: Roy should be owned in every Fantasy league out there, but while he battles knee injuries, owners are definitely grinding their teeth for drafting him so high. Some owners may be looking to jump ship, since this is the lowest Roy's Fantasy value has ever been, and that means it's the perfect time to get an upper echelon guard for dirt cheap. If you can pry Roy away from another owner, there's a good chance he would make your team better immediately. Portland may limit his court time to preserve him for the year, but Roy has the ability to produce solid numbers in 20-25 minutes of action.

Real Deal Equivalent: High-Performance Samsung Laptops - $150 off at Best BuyYeah, you may have to open up your wallet if you want to bring home a big toy like this, but it's definitely a great option if you want to get some high-caliber equipment without paying full retail.

Fantasy Shopping Cart: Collison was undoubtedly overvalued entering this year. He was taken with an average draft pick of 40, based solely on his 18.8 points, 9.1 assists and 3.5 rebounds as a starter last year in New Orleans. This means that current owners are probably very disappointed with his 14.3 points and 4.3 boards per game through the first five weeks of the season. I smell a sale. Collison still has the potential to be a 17 and 7 guy, and owners should check their league and see if they can strike up a deal.

Real Deal Equivalent: All adult jeans - $15 at Old NavyNot exactly the designer dungarees you might find in a Madison Avenue boutique, but a reasonably stylish alternative for the price. Let's face it; you could easily pay twice as much any other time of year. Yeah, I used the word "dungarees". No, I'm not a septuagenarian

Fantasy Shopping Cart: Carter is currently dealing with some bumps and bruises which are keeping him out of the Magic lineup. He's also averaging career-lows in points, rebounds and assists: 13.9, 3.2 and 2.5, respectively. Clearly, Carter is no longer the high-flyer he once was, but he does have the capability to go off on any given night. Again, we've got a player who could be reeled in for cheap based on the disappointment tied to inflated preseason expectations. If you don't mind being patient with the veteran, trading for Carter could be a steal.

Real Deal Equivalent: Radio Flyer Big Wheel - $35 at Wal-MartYeah, we all remember how awesome these were when we were kids. Of course, back then, a few rocks in the tires would only help you sound cooler when you peeled out down the driveway. It's a sentimental choice, I know, but you can't look past the classics when you're in the market for a dependable option.

Fantasy Shopping Cart: Andersen just made his season debut for the Nuggets, which is why he's available in 90 percent of CBSSports.com Fantasy leagues. He's coming off an offseason knee surgery, so he's a bit of a risky option, but there are definitely Fantasy owners out there who are in desperate need of a big man. Injury bug, anyone? Those owners might be happy to see Andersen fill a void in their lineups. He's not worth owning in standard leagues, but is definitely worth a flier in deeper Rotisserie formats. He's a bargain and a half right now.

Real Deal Equivalent: 46" APEX LCD TV, 1080p 60 Hz - $449 at TargetAbsolutely jaw-dropping color. And, while it's not the most recognized brand on the market, it's got some versatility -- Size enough to hold it down in the living room, and could be a huge addition to a bedroom-sized fantasy lineup.

The CBSSports.com NBA Facts and Rumors team previews each of the NBA's six divisions. First up: the Southeast. Posted by Matt Moore.The Burning Question: Just how big is the Melo question in this division?Will he be here? Will he be gone? Will Denver retool? Rebuild? Firesale everything but the walls and sell those for scrap? If he is there, will he be a distraction? Will it be business as usual? Are we confident the Nuggets can contend even if he's still in Denver? Are we sure? Are we confused? Angry? Hungry? Who's hungry? Last year Denver went 12-4 in this division. The other three cannibalistic playoff teams in this division went 25-23 combined. So Denver's got a lot to say about who wins this division. The problem is, of course, we have no idea what we're going to get when mid-November rolls around and teams have shaken off the early rust or shine and are revealed to be what they actually are. If Carmelo Anthony is still in Denver at that time, as it appears he very well may be, this team could lead the division, further scuttling Melo's trade prospects. Conversely, if Anthony's gone and Denver's decided to go all Jericho and rebuild their society, then things could get pretty crazy in the rest of the division.Melo was the biggest star in this division over the past several years, but now that Kevin Durant has eclipsed him as the next great scoring forward, there's more talk than ever about what exactly it is that Melo provides this team. And that question is going to be examined even closer this year as Kenyon Martin is out till January and Chris Anderson till December. The complimentary pieces that were brought in to surround Melo are injured and Chauncey Billups isn't getting any younger. Meanwhile J.R. Smith is still J.R. Smith for better or worse, and this team is always a half second away from going into full-on mental chemistry meltdown. The Thunder should be improved, but can they topple a veteran group that knows how to win night in and night out like Denver? Utah's got Al Jefferson, but can they overcome their injury issues to maintain a consistency like Denver has? And if we want to talk about injuries, take Portland's training staff. Please. Ba-dum, ching. No?If Denver goes down the tubes, there will be a team to fill the void. The only question is if that team will simply be vacating an open spot or legitimately taking the spot Denver had been tagged for a year ago, that of de facto Western challenger to LA. What Berger Says:

Everything is in flux with the Melo situation still unresolved. So the spectrum of what could go right for the Nuggets looks like this: A) Clinging to the scant hope that Anthony can be persuaded to stay; or B) Getting the best possible deal for him. There's little reason to have any faith that A can happen. So the Nuggets will continue to explore trade possibilities, which will force them to decide whether it's possible to trade Melo in a deal that saves money and keeps them in contention (no), or saves money and sets them up for the best possible future. Either way, it looks to me like the Nuggets' ascent has ended before they reached their full potential.

And Now, A Non-Sequiter:Anyone else feel like Kyrylo Fesenko would be the worst roommate in the world? Young, inexperienced, probably always asking questions. He's a jokester, which is fine when you're hanging out but gets old real quick. Dude probably steals your toothpaste, too. No? Just me? Okay. Just checking. VIDEO OF SUPREME PREVIEW SUPREMACY:

With the addition of the filled in tattoo scarf, I'd say based on my calculations, Andersen has about 10 square inches of real estate left to cover (that we know of). Honestly, if you look back to even 2009, it's crazy to see how much The Birdman has added. I thought he had a lot of tattoos back then. But compared to now? He was just getting started.

When I was in high school, I kind of wanted a tattoo. My mom would always say, "Yeah but think about when you're 60. Are you really going to want that still?" That sort of talked me out of it. I guess The Birdman's mom never said that to him.